BRS leaders protest RTC privatization

The Telangana government’s decision to hike TGSRTC bus fares has sparked protests from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). On Thursday, BRS leaders called for a “Chalo Bus Bhavan” demonstration against the fare increase. Police deployed in large numbers at Bus Bhavan in Hyderabad to prevent the protest.

BRS leader Talasani Srinivas Yadav told ANI, “The fare hike is causing severe hardship to the poor and ordinary citizens. Public transport is a lifeline for them, but the government is trying to privatize it. We are fighting against this move.”

KTR criticizes government handling

In the same context, BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) slammed the Telangana government. “This government doesn’t know how to govern; they only know how to run a circus. They placed me under house arrest in the morning and released me later. Our leaders are being arrested across the state. Even the police are facing difficulties due to the government’s careless decisions,” KTR told the media.

He expressed anger over the arrest of people protesting peacefully. “If free bus services caused losses to RTC, the government should cover them. It is unfair to burden ordinary citizens,” he said.

KTR demanded the fare hike be rolled back, warning it would severely impact common and middle-class people. “Why introduce free bus services if losses were expected? Why should ordinary citizens now bear the burden of those losses? We demand that the TGSRTC MD revoke this decision,” he added.

Meanwhile, BRS leader Harish Rao traveled on a bus in Mehdipatnam and interacted with commuters. Telangana police reported that KTR was placed under house arrest at his residence in Hyderabad on Thursday morning. Responding to the move, KTR said on X, “I just wanted to take a bus to the TGSRTC MD’s office and submit a letter requesting the fare hike be withdrawn. Was it necessary to deploy so many police at my residence? If only this energy was used to control the rising crime in Hyderabad, it would be better.”

Fare hike details and public response

TGSRTC increased city bus fares by at least ₹10 from October 6. Passengers on City Ordinary, Metro Express, E-Ordinary, and E-Express services now have to pay an additional ₹5 for the first three stages and ₹10 from the fourth stage onwards. The fare hike has triggered immediate protests, including female BRS leaders publicly confronting the government, resulting in police detentions.

Political angle ahead of Jubilee Hills by-elections

With the Jubilee Hills by-election approaching, the fare hike issue has turned into a political advantage for BRS. While Congress claims the hike was a minor adjustment to support TGSRTC operations and promote electric vehicles, BRS is leveraging the issue for political mileage.